Baldiviez and Mottu are charged with felony embezzlement in an alleged deal in which Mottu was given a 2001 police car to convert into a "tricked-out" low rider car for display in car shows.

They were among six King City officers arrested in February in a high-profile police corruption case, in which other officers are accused of being involved with a towing scam and keeping cars belonging to people who couldn't pay impound fees.

Retired appeals court Justice Wendy Duffy continued the hearing, which is to determine if there is enough evidence to order Baldiviez and Mottu to trial, until 10 a.m. May 30. That's when prosecutor Steve Somers will get a chance to cross-examine Baldiviez.

His attorney Tom Worthington took the unusual step of calling Baldiviez as a preliminary hearing witness in hopes of showing that the former chief had no intent of giving Mottu the car and the two 2010 Department of Motor Vehicles documents had bogus signatures.

One form showed Mottu got the city vehicle as a $100 "gift" from Baldiviez, which a DMV supervisor said would reduce the fee to re-register the car.

Baldiviez said he couldn't have signed one form because it was dated during a one-month period in mid-2010 when he was in Palm Springs.

Under questioning by Rosen that drew sharp objections from Worthington, Baldiviez acknowledged he was in Palm Springs receiving treatment for alcohol abuse.

Rosen asked Baldiviez how he could square his testimony about his signatures being forged with his acknowledgment to prosecution investigators in February that he had probably signed the DMV forms. Baldiviez said the light during the interview wasn't good and the signatures were a close match to his. Upon reflection, he said they looked "a little bit more compacted."

Baldiviez said he signed a pink slip in 2008 to transfer the patrol car, which was being taken out of service since it had more than 77,000 miles, to the police department's youth Explorer program.

Baldiviez got the OK from the City Council after Mottu saw a show car from Visalia police and suggested the idea for King City youth. Baldiviez said he signed over the pink slip the next day for the Explorer program and never would have given the car to Mottu.

Baldiviez said the car would have been worth about $1,500 to $2,000 in 2008. A prosecution investigator said a DMV expert estimated its value now, with all the modifications, at $15,000.